Debate on Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan Continues

A criminal case has been initiated against Ali Karimli, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), under a special accusation procedure. A preparatory hearing for the case is being held today, August 13, at the Nasimi District Court. He is charged under the Criminal Code's articles for slander (147) and insult (148). The complainant, Aydin Aliyev, was expelled from the party several years ago and claims that allegations about his collaboration with the government are defamatory and insulting. The leadership of the APFP considers these accusations, which will be evaluated in court, to be political and highlights that 12 of their members are currently imprisoned on various charges.

There are only 17 days left until the snap parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. In this situation, are new arrests expected among the opposition? Could there be any developments regarding individuals considered political prisoners? Traditionally, some easing of tensions is expected in Azerbaijan before elections. However, earlier this year, the mandate of the Azerbaijani delegation was not confirmed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Following this, the organization was not invited to observe the snap parliamentary elections.

Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, told Radio Liberty that PACE plays no role in solving the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Yunus says that Azerbaijan's relations with PACE have long been strained, and rapporteurs were unable to assist political prisoners: "Therefore, the deterioration of relations does not play a significant role."

According to the human rights defender, the main influencing factor in the issue of political prisoners is the United States: "Subsequently, the European Union and the European Parliament's relations. That is, the threat of sanctions from those I mentioned. But in all cases, the US can play a major role in resolving the issue of political prisoners."

However, Nigar Hezi, the daughter of Tofig Yagublu, a Musavat member and National Council member currently imprisoned, sees the resolution of the political prisoners' issue from a different perspective. She believes that the current situation depends on the state of affairs on the Russia-Ukraine front (T. Yagublu was detained on December 14, 2023, and charged with fraud and using forged documents, which he denies): "If Putin's power weakens quickly, perhaps, conditions for the release of political prisoners could arise. For example, on February 7, presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan, but despite having enough political prisoners, the arrests continued. Currently, the country is in the parliamentary election campaign, but they are creating a fake court case against Ali Karimli."

There is no unified list of individuals considered political prisoners by Azerbaijani human rights defenders. Some lists contain fewer than 100 names, while others include nearly 300 individuals.

Officials, however, do not accept the notion that there are political prisoners in the country. They state that those listed as political prisoners have been held accountable solely for their actions.

Rashad Majid, a member of the Pardon Issues Commission under the President, also emphasized to "Turan" that "there are no political prisoners in Azerbaijan." However, neither he nor other members of the Pardon Issues Commission under the President wanted to speak extensively on the matter.